The ‘Pathfinder’ mutuals are public sector spinoffs where staff run the
service themselves.

Besides PwC and KPMG, mentors will come from other businesses including the
John Lewis Partnership, Baxi and Sunderland home Care Associates.

Projects the mentors are helping on include: The Department of Health’s
London and SE Learning Disability Team forming a regional Community Interest
Company; NHS employees forming a social enterprise to provide joined up services
for homeless people in Leicester; Westminster City Council working with
employees in Children’s Services and neighbouring local authorities to move
towards creating an arms-length mutual organisation; and teaching and
administrative staff planning to set up a trust to run Newton Rigg Agricultural
College in Cumbria.

“The potential for public sector staff to spin out is enormously exciting.
The new models will show us how we best support mutuals, tackling problems when
they first arise not expensively managing them over many years,” said Cabinet
Office minister Francis Maude.

“Whilst not a guaranteed solution to today’s challenges, the strengths of an
employee-led model – such as an empowered and informed workforce and a close
alignment of motivation between managers and employees – has helped us create a
strong culture of trust, innovation and customer service,” said John Lewis
Partnership chairman Charlie Mayfield.